Cut Off
by Anonymous1O1
Summary: For months now, Ash Ketchum has been attempting to ask out the girl of his dreams. Misty Waterflower means everything to Ash, and he wants to prove it to her. So when she invites him for dinner, it seems like the perfect chance- until the world sets out to stop him. PokeShipping.


**So this is a PokeShipping one-shot I've been working on for some time now. If you guys haven't yet, check out my multi-chapter, PokeShipping-oriented story The Kanto Journeys. **

**The featured story for this one-shot is Never Been Kissed by TheFifthCharmedOne. "'****A-Ash..what are you doing?' He still didn't move his hand, and Misty made no move to do it for him. 'Proving something to you,' he said. Misty's eyes furrowed, and then she realized what he was trying to prove." It's an old one-shot, having been published over five years ago, but it is a definite must-read for any PokeShipper. The way Ash reveals his feelings to Misty is as fluffy and sweet as cotton candy. **

* * *

"Ash, you've got this. Now, stop fidgeting so I can fix your tie."

Ash Ketchum stood as rigid as possible as May fixed his tie for him. He had been preparing for this day for ages. His best friend and long-time crush, Misty Waterflower, had invited him over for dinner at her home in Cerulean City. He had been trying to work up the courage for the past few months to ask her out, but he'd never been able to do it. Most of the time, their conversations over the phone went like this:

Ash: Hey, Mist, how're ya doing?

Misty: Hey, Ash! Things are going good, I guess. My sisters are acting like arrogant brats as usual, but the Gym's running well. I just beat a Trainer today who reminded me a lot of you.

Ash: Well, that's good, I guess.

Misty: Ash, are you okay? You sound kinda... freaked out.

Ash: Uh... I think so?

Misty: How are you not sure if you're okay? Really, Ash, is something wrong?

Ash (in a fast voice): Are you free Saturday?

Misty: Hang on... Yep, I am. Why?

Ash: Um, uh, well... Saturday Night Live's gonna be on!

Misty: Ash, SNL is on every Saturday. (...) Ash? Ash, you there? (...) Hello? Anybody?

Every time he tried to ask her out to dinner or a movie, Ash always ended up losing whatever courage he had mustered up and instead said something extremely stupid. He was pretty sure Misty was starting to seriously worry about his mental state. He may be courageous on the battlefield, but tell him to ask out the girl of his dreams and he'd hide under the covers like a two year old.

This time, though, he was gonna do it.

Once May was done fixing his tie and giving him a small pep talk, he was on his way. Him and May had once had a short fling one spring, until Drew came along and ruined everything. Now, Ash had moved on to someone of much higher importance in his life. She was as fiery as her hair and as stubborn as a mule. Her slap was something else. She had the brattiest sisters in the world. She could be annoying as hell. And after tonight, she would be his.

He hoped.

The road to Cerulean seemed extremely protracted, the dirt paths twisting and winding seemingly endlessly. Even on a bike, it seemed to Ash like he'd never reach Cerulean. The sun was setting in the distance, casting an orange-y glow across the land. The first stars were beginning to show themselves in the sky, surrounding the crescent moon that would eventually light the city streets Ash hoped to traverse with Misty by his side.

It felt strange to Ash not to have his beloved Pikachu by his side. The Electric Pokemon had been slightly irritated with Ash that he hadn't been invited, but the Pokemon Trainer had figured that it would be easier to ask Misty out if his partner wasn't crouching by his side, threatening to shock him if he so much as stammered. However, Ash wasn't at all worried about the Pokemon, who was safely at home with his mom. Ash had promised him that he'd get to see Misty at some other time.

At long last, Ash arrived at the gates of Cerulean. The city was lit by bright neon lights, with spotlights in the distance marking the location of the Gym. Being someone who got lost in his own house, Ash was grateful for the guidance. Taking a deep breath, he started into the city.

Not much had changed in Cerulean over the past ten years. The place had changed slightly from being residential-focused to being commercially-focused, but that didn't bother Ash. He liked to see that his favorite city was keeping up with the ever-changing times. Even if it did mean having to walk past some sketchy-looking strip clubs and keeping an eye out for drunks stumbling through the street.

As he rolled up to the front of the Cerulean Gym, he began to regret having brought his bike. He'd been hoping that it would take him a long time to get to his destination, which would have allowed him to figure out a plan for asking Misty out. Ah well. He'd just have to come up with it on the spot, like usual. As long as he didn't make a total fool of himself, he'd be just fine.

Leaving his bike at the entrance, Ash stepped through the automatic doors. As soon as he did, he was greeted by the strong smell of chlorine. He coughed, not having remembered the smell being so strong. Giving himself time to adjust to the smell, Ash stepped up to the front desk. A young man with curly hair and glasses sat behind the desk, typing furiously on a computer. His blue eyes were bloodshot, as if he'd been staring at that screen all day with the intensity of the spotlights that danced around the Gym. Ash had to ring the bell three times before he noticed the man's presence. He pushed his glasses further up his nose and sniffed.

"Can I help you?" His voice was so nasal that it took all of Ash's willpower not to laugh.

"Um, yeah," Ash replied. "I'm lookin' for a girl named Misty. Is she here?"

"Yes, she is," Mr. Nasal answered. "You can find her by the pool."

"Thanks."

"No problem."

As soon as Ash had rounded the corner, he doubled over laughing. He had to shove a fist in his mouth to keep the noise from reaching Mr. Nasal's ears. Once he had recovered, he made his way toward the sign marked "POOL". His hand wrapped around the doorknob, his heart pounding hard against his chest. This was it. His chance to get what he truly wanted. Praying to Arceus that his cowardice wouldn't get the better of him, he opened the door.

Just as the man behind the desk had said, Misty was by the pool. Her red hair fell around her shoulders, dripping wet from her trip in the pool. She was wearing her usual red bikini, which caught Ash's attention more than it should have. Cursing his damn hormones, he started inching his way toward her.

He was barely two feet away from her when she turned around. A smile spread across her tan face when she saw him, and she threw her arms around him in a hug. "Ash!" she cried. "It's so good to see you again!"

Ash felt his face get hot as he felt her cold, wet skin against his own. He wasn't one to get infatuated much with girls, but this was different. This was Misty, the girl he wanted to date and, hopefully, marry.

When she pulled away from him, Ash ducked his face so that she couldn't see his blush. "It's good to see you again too, Mist. How have you been?"

"Good," she said. "The Gym's been busy, but things are good. You?" She winked at him. "Has the League been treating you well, Mr. Champion of Sinnoh?"

Ash shuffled his feet, feeling the nervousness he always felt when talking to his crush creeping up again. "Good," he answered quickly. _Come on, Ash! _He scolded himself. _This is Misty! You two have been friends for years! Stop acting like a nervous twit!_

"Ash?" Misty sounded concerned. "Are you alright? You look angry all of a sudden."

"What?" Ash jumped a little. "Uh, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Let's uh, go to dinner?" He hoped his questioning tone didn't betray his nervousness.

Thankfully, Misty didn't seem to notice. "Sure! I ordered a large pizza. We can eat in the conference room, if that's okay with you."

"Sure," he said. He motioned for her to lead the way, since he had absolutely no idea where the hell this "conference room" was. He didn't even know that the Gym _had _a conference room.

Misty lead him around the pool and down one of the hallways. Near the back of said hallway was a door marked "CONFERENCE". Ash wondered why every Gym couldn't be as clearly marked as this one.

The conference room was decently sized, with a large table surrounded by swivel chairs. The smell of pizza was strong in the room, the source of which Ash quickly spotted positioned next to a bottle of Coke. It was all he could do to keep himself from running over and drinking the whole bottle. Hey, he couldn't help it. Next to battling, Coke was Ash's favorite thing.

He took a seat at the head of the table, with Misty sitting down next to him. Thankfully, she had put a jacket on over her swimsuit. He couldn't bear the thought of spending the next two hours with his crush in a bikini. Holy Arceus, he hated his hormones.

Misty opened the pizza box and passed him a slice. Taking one for herself, she said, "You know, Ash, you didn't need to get all dressed up. I told you we weren't going out."

Ash, who had been pouring himself a cup of Coke, paused. "I know. I just thought I'd wear something nice for a change."

"Uh-huh. May dressed you, didn't she?"

"Did not!"

She poked at his arm. "What kind of man are you to be having your ex-girlfriend pick out your clothes?" Her eyes gleamed teasingly.

"She doesn't pick out my clothes for me!" By this point, Ash's face was getting quite hot again. He was sure his face was red as a tomato.

"Don't lie to me, Ash Ketchum! Both of us know you'd _never _wear anything nice on purpose! Your mom had to bribe you into wearing a suit and tie for your induction into the Sinnoh League Hall of Fame!"

"I'm not lying! I've changed since then. Gotten more mature." He puffed out his chest, as if he thought that made him look more mature.

"Ash, you beat the Sinnoh League six weeks ago! Nobody changes that fast!"

"Yeah, well I did!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Not!"

"Did!"

"Ugh!" Misty's hands flew up to her face. "Ash Ketchum, why do you _always _have to annoy the crap out of me?"

"Because _you're _so annoying!"

The next thing he knew, he was lying slumped over the table, his cheek stinging from a fierce slap. He clutched at it with his hand. "Owww..."

Misty leaned back in her chair, folding her arms. "That's what you get for messing with Misty Waterflower!"

Ash sighed, glancing at his slice of pizza. Suddenly feeling a burst of confidence the origins of which were a mystery to him, he looked back up at her. "Actually, there's a bigger reason as to why I'm dressed so nicely."

Misty raised her eyebrows. "Oh? Enlighten me, then."

His hands gripped his knees tightly. _Alright, Ash. This is it. It's time. You can do this, let's go. _Taking a deep breath, he began. "Misty, I've been doing a lot of thinking lately. I've spent ages thinking about this, and I finally came to a conclusion a short while ago. I came to realize that I have great f-"

"Misty!"

Ash stopped mid-sentence as the bubbly, annoying voice of Misty's sister Lily shot down the hallway. Holding back a groan, Ash closed his mouth.

At that moment, the Sensational Sister burst through the doorway. She had a frantic look on her face. Sighing, Misty faced her. "Can't you see I'm busy? This better be good."

Lily's hands tugged at her dress. "The water pipe in the locker room like, burst! There's water like, everywhere! You gotta like, fix it!"

Misty rolled her eyes. "Can't you get Tracey to do it?"

"He's like, busy!" Her eyes turned pleading. "_Please_ Misty!" she begged.

The fiery Gym Leader nodded and stood up. "Sorry, Ash," she said. "I'll be back soon." And with that, she and Lily were gone, leaving a frustrated Ash to fume over his lost chance. His confidence had faded since the interruption, leaving him feeling just as cowardly as he had before. He decided to take the time he had alone to give himself a small pep talk.

"Alright, Ash," he murmured. "You were so close, and nothing bad happened. No magical force came down from the sky and struck a hole through your chest. You can do this. Misty's your best friend. You have nothing to be afraid of. Even if she turns you down, she'll still be your friend. You know that." He continued grabbing at his knees, finding them to be an odd source of comfort.

He sat in silence after that, feeling slightly awkward at sitting in the conference room doing nothing. Eventually, he decided on taking a few bites from his pizza. He then proceeded to drink some Coke on top of that, wondering how the two would taste together. The taste was far from pleasant, the bubbly liquid mixing with tomato sauce and pepperoni. Trying desperately not to choke, he burst out in the hall, searching frantically for a bathroom.

He found one and rushed in, spitting his Coke-pizza concoction into the sink. He coughed, his throat burning from his efforts to keep the gross substance from sliding down his throat. He turned on the tap and stuck his head under the faucet, trying to wash the taste out of his mouth. Water splashed across his face, occasionally going up his nose and making him cough.

"Ash?" An amused voice sounded from behind Ash. "Are you okay?"

Ash whirled around, water dribbling out of the corner of his mouth. Misty was standing in the doorway, laughing quietly at him. Her eyes glistened with humorous pleasure.

"Um," he stammered, looking for the right words. How could he possibly explain his predicament without making a total fool of himself? After struggling for several moments to find a good excuse, he gave up and hung his head in defeat. "I tried mixing pizza and Coke together. It didn't taste good, so I had to wash my mouth out." Looking back up at his red-haired companion, Ash saw that she was staring at him like he was a total fool. Great. Just great.

After a few moments of just staring, she burst out into laughter. "Honestly, Ash Ketchum, sometimes I seriously question your sanity."

For about the billionth time that night, Ash's face turned beet red. He chuckled nervously, not sure how to respond. _Nice job, moron. _He thought to himself. _Now what are you going to do?_

While he was searching for an answer to his question, Misty calmed herself down and said, "Well, how about we go back and finish that pizza? If your appetite isn't ruined, that is." She chuckled again. Ash felt like blowing up.

And so they returned to the conference room, with Misty eating most of the pizza and Ash trying to make a comeback from what had happened. Things started going a bit more smoothly after a while, with Misty breaking out the ice cream after they had finished the pizza. The sight of the chocolate-flavored dessert relieved Ash, who had been awaiting true relief from his disastrous concoction. He scooped himself a giant bowl-full prior to eagerly digging in with the largest spoon he'd ever seen.

Fortunately for Ash, Misty seemed to have gotten over the previous occurrence. Realizing this boosted Ash's confidence again. Deciding that it was time to try again, he started a conversation.

"Thanks for buying chocolate ice cream. I know you don't care for the flavor much, but it's my favorite."

She smiled. "Of course. After all, it isn't every day I get to eat ice cream with my best friend."

He nodded. "Next time I come over here, I'll bring the ice cream. Coffee still your favorite?"

"Yep," she said, shoving another spoonful of ice cream into her mouth. Seeing that she was now done, she leaned back in her chair and sighed. "You know, it's been a nice night. A lot better than most nights, anyways. Most of the time I'm either babysitting Daisy's son or training in the pool. It's nice to sit back and relax, you know?"

"Yeah, I know." He leaned back in his own chair, momentarily forgetting about the lovely dessert that sat half-eaten before him. "Listen, Misty... I have something that I want to ask you."

She looked expectantly at him. "What is it, Ash?" Her eyes sparkled in the way Ash had always loved. The look was almost enough to make him crumble on the spot, but he held on. _Just one question, and then her eyes will be your's._

Taking a deep breath, he began the all-important question for the second time that night. "Misty, would you do me the honor of being my-"

"Hello? Misty? Daisy? Lily? Anybody?"

Ash stopped mid-sentence again, gripping the armrests in extreme frustration. Misty swiveled around in her chair as an auburn-haired man that was all too familiar to Ash came into the room. His eyes widened in shock when he saw Misty, and a wide smile spread across both people's faces.

"Rudy!" Misty cried, jumping to her feet. "I can't believe you're here!" She threw her arms around him in a hug. The Trovita Island native's black eyes shone as he reciprocated the embrace. Ash's heart burned with jealousy. Why couldn't he have come in just two minutes later? Fuming, Ash forced himself to his feet as Rudy and Misty pulled away from each other.

"Rudy," Ash greeted the Gym Leader coldly.

The twenty-five year old failed to notice Ash's hostility. "Hello, Ash! Long time no see! Boy, have you grown up!" He turned toward Misty. "You both have. You've gotten especially beautiful, Misty."

She giggled. "Thank you, Rudy."

Ash grumbled.

He stared into her eyes. "I've missed you, Misty."

Before the red-head could respond, Ash cut in between them. "I didn't know you were in the area, Rudy. You should have called me. We could have caught up." _Anything to keep you away from Misty._

Rudy flashed him a shiny grin. "I tried calling your house, but nobody answered. So, I figured I'd drop in here. Imagine my surprise when I find not only Misty here, but you too!"

Ash forced a laugh. "Yeah, I can only imagine."

Rudy turned back toward Misty. "So, Misty. I've been doing a lot of thinking lately. About you."

She blushed a bit. "Oh really?"

He nodded. "Yeah. I came here because of it. I've harbored feelings for you for a long time, as you've known. I've come with a crucial question for you. Misty Waterflower, would you do me the honor of becoming my girlfriend?"

Ash practically exploded when he heard that.

Misty stared at him in absolute shock. "Rudy, I..."

He cut her off. "You don't need to say anything. Just nod or shake your head. That's enough for me."

She looked away from him, an uncertain look spreading across her face. "I don't know," she murmured. "This is all sort of sudden..."

He nodded. "I understand this may be a bit of a shock to you. I'll give you time. As much as you need. Just call me with your answer later, okay?" He kissed her hand. "I'll be waiting to hear your lovely voice over the phone. Good night, Misty."

He walked out of the room, leaving a madly blushing Misty alone with a still-fuming Ash.

_How dare he come in here and ask Misty to be his girlfriend? He doesn't know her like I do! He barely even knows her at all! Sure, they've seen each other multiple times, but that number is nothing compared to the number of times Misty and I have seen each other! He can't date her! I won't let him! _

There was only one thing he could do. Mustering up all his courage, he did just that.

Grabbing Misty's shoulders, he pushed her against the wall. She let out a small squeak of surprise, which was abruptly cut off as Ash kissed her. He laced his fingers through her damp hair. She quickly reciprocated, wrapping her arms around his waist and pulling him closer to her. Both people lost themselves in the kiss, both having wanted it for a long time. They held on to the moment for as long as humanly possible, eventually forced to break apart for air.

Ash stared straight into her eyes, closer to her than he'd ever been. His voice was quiet as he asked her the question he'd been trying to ask her all night.

"Misty Waterflower, will you make me the happiest man alive and be my girlfriend?"

Her eyes shone with pure joy, her hands sliding up into Ash's raven-colored hair. She was trembling slightly, with what Ash figured to be overwhelming happiness.

"It would be an honor."

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed this one-shot! This actually took more planning than you would imagine. It took me a while to come up with just what exactly would interrupt Ash's attempts at asking Misty out. Having Rudy ask Misty out was actually a last-minute decision. Still glad I made it, though. I hate DanceShipping. Anyways, I hope this wasn't too cheesy for all of you. Expect to see more PokeShipping one-shots soon. See you then!**


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